New Beginnings (by Elizabeth)
It’s never too late to start the day over.
After a debate with my son who misunderstood that my request for help with the dishes was actually a demand couched in gentle terms, we both realized that the day had started badly. His tears and upset and my frustration with his lack of cooperation was NOT the way to begin the day. Both of us stood our ground, already exhausted at 7 a.m. “Could we start this over?” I asked. A smile crept onto his sullen face as he whispered, “Let’s rewind.”
Rewind. Take us back to the beginning, back to before the argument even started. In this case, we walked backwards to his bedroom, he climbed back into bed, and pulled the covers over his head. I stepped out of his room, took a deep breath, then came back in. “Good morning.” I said. “Breakfast is ready. When you are dressed, would you…oops, I mean, please empty the dishwasher.
This particular morning the rewind worked. Tomorrow? We may have to rewind a little farther.
